While former President Donald Trump remains silent on his future in politics, it is apparently clear that the government isn’t done with him yet. On Monday, as Trump sat in Trump Tower in New York City, his residence at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida was raided by the FBI. According to Fox News, the raid at Mar-a-Lago was in response to accusations that Trump stole government documents from the White House. During the FBI raid, agents removed around 15 boxes of supposed classified material. As more details continue to unfold, it seems that the judge who signed off on the raid once donated to the Obama campaign and viciously criticized Trump during his presidency. 

A Florida federal magistrate judge, Bruce Reinhart, is reported as the person who approved the raid at Trump’s residence. When searching through federal findings on Reinhart, it was reported that the judge donated $1,000 to the 2008 presidential campaign for Barack Obama. During that same cycle, he donated another $1,000 to the Obama Victory Fund. It should be noted that in 2016, he contributed only $500 to the campaign for Jeb Bush. 

Bruce Reinhart’s history included more than just donations. The judge admitted to the Miami Herald he represented a few employees of none other than Jeffrey Epstein. They included Sarah Kellen, Epstein’s scheduler, Epstein’s pilots, and Nadia Marcinkova. As for his disdain for Trump, Reinhart often promoted anti-Trump statements on Facebook and Twitter. He once praised John Lewis, a civil rights activist and former Congressman, who stated, “Donald Trump doesn’t have the moral stature to kiss John Lewis’s feet.”

After the raid, Donald Trump shared a statement on the situation, writing, “Nothing like this has ever happened to a President of the United States before. After working and cooperating with the relevant Government agencies, this unannounced raid on my home was not necessary or appropriate.”

A day later, Trump’s spokesman Taylor Budowich issued another statement that criticized the FBI and their raid. “Monday’s brazen raid was not just unprecedented, it was completely unnecessary. President Trump and his representatives have gone to painstaking lengths in communicating and cooperating with the appropriate agencies — something that is routine for all similar instances.”

Budowich concluded, “These disgusting actions by [President]Joe Biden’s administration would make a third-world dictator blush. However, in the Democrats’ desperate attempt to retain power, they have unified and grown the entire conservative movement.”

Adding his voice to the conversation, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell demanded an explanation. “The country deserves a thorough and immediate explanation of what led to the events of Monday. Attorney General Garland and the Department of Justice should already have provided answers to the American people and must do so immediately.”